Colostomy belt



...UT f

ITN/enfer.

M. A. BOWMAN COLOSTOIY BELT May 1o, 1932.

Filed Nov. so, 1928 Patented May 10, 1932 UNITED STATES PATENT ori-lcs COLOSTOMY BELT Application med November 30, 1928. Serial No. 322,978.

The object of the colostomy belt is to take care of the feces or discharge of the bowels, which after a colostomy operation on the human `body are diverted from passage J through the lower bowels to an opening ma e in the lower front part of the abdomen.

The nature of my colostomy belt is such that it takes care of the feces or bowel movement in the most sanitary manner with the 1o least trouble and attention, and with the greatest comfort to the wearer of the belt, and at the same time supports and holds the tissues and organs of the abdomen in their natural position.

It is also a feature of my colostomy belt to provide a means of support over the abdominal region of the wearer which will lie fiat against the abdomen under normal conditions and which is provided with a flexible portion adapted to expand and contract in accordance with the requirements of the wearer.

This provides a pocket portion to my colostomy belt which lies over the colostomy opening in the abdomen and which normally lies flat against the abdomen to provide a support for the same. Should the occasion arise, the pocket portion may expand sufficiently to take care of the feces or bowel movement without discomfort to the wearer.

My colostomy belt is provided with the expandible portion which forms the pocket for the feces which is bounded by reinforcing me'ans to hold the marginal edge of the belt around the expandible pocket portion firmly and tightly against the abdomen surface, thereby holding any feces within the pocket at all times. y

In the drawings forming part of this specification:

Figure 1 is an outside view of my colostomy belt in open position.

Figure 2 is an inside View of the same, showing the portion of the belt which would lie directly against the abdomen of the wearer.

Figure 3 is a section on the line 3 3 of Figure 1, more clearly indicating the feces pocket of the belt.

My colostomy belt A is formed of a strip of wide surgical elastic, equal in length to a measurement to lit around the body of the wearer, over the center of the colostomy openingpon the abdomen, allowance being made for the stretching of the material in proportion to the amount used.

The ends of the belt A are provided with portions 10 and 11 which are stitched to the body of the belt A. The portion 10 carries suitable fastener hooks 12, while the portion 11 is formed with a double row of eyes 13, so as to provide an adjustable attachment for the belt A around the abdomen of the wearer. The portions 10 and 11 are made so as to overlap when they are connected about the body. The portion of the belt over the colostomy opening is fastened on the inside by a piece of thin, flat, pure gum rubber 14 large enough to prevent soiling.

The space covered by the gum rubber 14 is bounded with non-elastic tape portions 15 on the ends and 16 on the sides, the tape portions 16 being embedded between the rubber surface 14 and the outside of the belt A to provide a marginal reinforcing means which prevents the free stretching of the colostomy belt A along the margin of the rubber surface 14 which forms the feces pocket B of the belt A which normally lies lat'against the abdomen of the wearer, but which is eX- pandible to form a pocket for the feces when it is necessary or desirable.

The back of the belt mav be reinforced by stays 17, if it is desired. The belt A may be made continuous on the step-in order, or with opening mid-way between the right side and the center front. The opening is adapt-ed to be closed with the heavy hooks and eyes 12 and 13, respectively, using a single row of hooks with several rows of eyes, if desired, as illustrated in Figure 2, or the belt may be closed by any other suitable means.

The belt by its nature is shorter than the actual measurements of the abdomen of the wearer, which causes the edges to it close to the body and particularly the lower edge under the curve of the lower part of the abdomen, while the lower part of the back of the belt is over a fleshy portion of the body and the lower edge of the belt at the sides extends over the hips.

In wearing the belt about the body, a thin layer of absorbent cotton may be placed between the gum rubber surface 14 and the colostomy opening and ifdesired, a few layers of toilet paper may be placed next to the body. This toilet paper and absorbent cotton protects the colostomy opening and takes care of any involuntary movement of the fecal matter. This is surrounded by the thick flat layer of pure gum rubber which is bounded by the non-elastic tape portions 15 and 16 in a manner to form a flat, elastic,moisture f proof pocket B which is held in place tight against the body by the wide strip-like nature of the body of the belt A which is formed of surgical elastic extending around the body of the wearer and which may be reinforced by its double thickness in front and supported by the stays 17 in the back to keep it from rollin at theedges.

In t is manner I provide a colostomy belt A of a very desirable nature which is rigid enough to hold the abdomen in its natural position, yet iexible enough to conform to the movements of the body in any position at all times. Inuse, the colostomy belt A extends flat around the body with the pocket B extending lat against the abdomen over the colostomy opemngand with this colostomy belt the bowels can be trained to move at any desired time by loosening or lifting the belt at regular intervals, the only attention necessary being a change of absorbent cotton and other padding, such as toilet paper, or any suitable material.

I claim:

1. A colostomy belt including, a band-like elastic backin member adapted to encircle a humans bo y to cover a colostomy, a section of rubber sheathing formed on said elastic backing adapted to cover the colostomy on the body and held normally flat against the humans body, and reinforcing marginal edges formed about said rubber section adapted to permit the center of said rubber sheathing to expand to provide a 'fecal pocket.

2. A belt for a colostom on a human body including, a backing o elastic material adapted to fit around the body, means for at taching the ends of said elastic backing to hold the same snugly and normally entirely flat around the body, an expandible pocketlike section formed on said backing including, a rubber sheet-like portion adapted to lie normally at against the body and having a resilient nature with said backing to permit slight bulging thereof away from the body, normally remaining flat against the body, and reinforcing means extending around the margin of said rubber sheet portion to revent the stretching of the edges of the s eet whereby the rubber sheet portion may expand slightly to provide a fecal pocket, but normallyremainin flat against the body.

MRS. MY TLE A. BOWMAN. 

